title: Impact of sex, age, body mass index and handedness on finger joint space width in patients with prolonged rheumatoid arthritis using computer-aided joint space analysis.
abstract: To evaluate the associations between sex, age, body mass index (BMI) and handedness regarding the radiogeometric detectable joint space distances of the finger articulations in patients suffering from a prolonged course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The joint space widths were measured by a new available Computer-aided joint space analysis (CAJSA); 128 patients with RA underwent computerized semi-automated joint space analysis of joint space distances at the metacarpal-phalangeal articulation (JSD-MCP II-V), proximal-interphalangeal joint (JSD-PIP II-V) and distal-interphalangeal joint (JSD-DIP II-V) based on digitally performed radiographs of the hand (Radiogrammetry Kit, Version 1.3.6; Sectra; Sweden). The joint space distance (JSD) of each articulation was expressed as JSD total in millimeter. The patient cohort was differentiated for gender, age, handedness and BMI (BMI < 20; BMI 20-25, BMI > 25). JSD revealed a significant age-related narrowing of 24.8% (JSD-MCP), 22.6% (JSD-PIP) and 28.7% (JSD-DIP) between the ages of 20 and 79. Additionally, males showed a significantly wider JSD compared to the female cohort for all age groups. All JSD-distances were varied between the right and left hand. The JSD-MCP demonstrated significant differences regarding the BMI groups. In contrast to JSD-MCP an effect of the BMI on measurements of JSD-PIP and JSD-DIP could not be observed. These influences must be differentiated from disease-related alterations caused by RA.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pfeil
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hansch
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eidner
authors.forename: Max L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oelzner
authors.forename: Diane M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Renz
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hein
authors.forename: Werner A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Böttcher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005384:Finger Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors